Weekly Study Questions: Proverbs #5

Kyle Bartholic   -   January 23, 2025

Wisdom for Relationships

Proverbs 6:1-35 (CGS#5)

INTRODUCTION: As we have been working through the book of Proverbs this winter, we have noted how Proverbs calls us to purposeful action in the pursuit of wisdom. Each week, the pursuit of wisdom is emphasized with phrases like incline your heart, listen to me, hear my words, hold fast, and be attentive. What is the result of this pursuit? Not the random accumulation of facts but a transformed heart and life. When we think of our transformation, we need to think on two planes: vertical and horizontal.

 

The vertical plane of our transformation has to do with our relationship with God. Do you remember the motto of Proverbs? It can be found in 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” Fearing God is about seeing him rightly, taking him seriously, and following him in obedience. The more we actively pursue wisdom, the more we see God rightly. God is infinite, so we will never exhaust our knowledge of him. Instead, we will always (even through eternity) be learning and growing in our understanding of him. Amazing, right? So, as we pursue wisdom, it helps us understand God and have clarity on his character and nature. One of the wonderful things that we continue to learn is that while God is always right, he is also kind and loving. The longer we follow him, the deeper we come to see the depth of his love. So, as we pursue wisdom, we grow in our relationship with God.

 

The horizontal plane of our transformation is our relationships. Wisdom is defined as rightly applied knowledge. Therefore, it can’t be something that is only intellectually understood. It has to be applied in the context of our lives. What is the most frequent or common context for the application of wisdom in our lives? Our relationships. As we are transformed in our relationship with God, which changes our hearts, minds, and perspectives, those changes flow into and inform our relationships. Chapter six of Proverbs focuses solely on the horizontal plane of our transformation. We have already heard the motto (1:7) and heard of the need to hide wisdom in our hearts and souls (2:9-10). The father, who has been speaking to his sons in the first five chapters, now gives them four very practical pieces of advice for applying wisdom in their relationships.

  1. Wise people want to help others, but they understand the ramifications of their actions. (vv. 1-5)
  2. Wise people understand the importance of sweat equity and personal responsibility. (vv. 6-11)
  3. Wise people understand the damage that discord and dishonesty bring. (vv. 12-19)
  4. Wise people understand that temporary pleasure never outweighs faithfulness. (vv. 20-35)

This father wants his sons to understand the truth that wisdom is both personal and communal. That is, it impacts our vertical transformation and relationship with God and our horizontal transformation and relationships in our lives. But we must not forget the one who gives us the power to apply wisdom is the one who gives wisdom, God.

 

GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. What was the most important piece of advice you ever received for a relationship? It could have been a friendship, a coworker, or a romantic relationship. Who gave it to you, and how did it help?

 

 

 

IN THE WORD –   Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.

First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)

Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.

 

 

Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?

 

 

Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?

 

Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.

  1. What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
  2. Is there an image, word, or picture that stands out to you in the passage from this week, and what about it is powerful or helpful?
  3. Which of the four pieces of wisdom in this section stood out to you and why? What application step is there for you?
  4. When it comes to your relationships, do you feel equipped to apply wisdom in difficult circumstances? If yes, how have you done that? If no, what is the part of the process that you struggle with? What steps can you take to grow in that area? One example could be the willingness to let others who have unrealistic expectations be disappointed. This is a tough but important thing.
  5. I’ve heard it said that you can’t draw water from a dry well, and we can’t apply wisdom if we don’t first pursue it. How are you pursuing wisdom in your relationship with God?